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FixIt: Neon Trees Monitor Engineer Mike Bangs

We are sharing preamps between monitors and FOH and doing a digital split from the monitor console’s [Allen & Heath] iDR-32, so our FOH snake is just one Cat-5 cable. The second iDR-32 MixRack is c7/01/2011 5:00 AM Eastern

We are sharing preamps between monitors and FOH and doing a digital split from the monitor console’s [Allen & Heath] iDR-32, so our FOH snake is just one Cat-5 cable. The second iDR-32 MixRack is currently being used for the FOH console’s DSP. That will change when we start headlining on our next tour. We will go with more stereo instruments for Neon Trees, and we will use the second iDR-32 to handle support band inputs without having to unpatch anything. Since the iDR-32 is basically the brains of the console, it’s all I need for a fly date. Everything else goes in my carry-on bag. I did the first couple shows with just the laptop and iPad, using the Allen & Heath iPad app. Then I added the PL-6 so I could have some physical faders. That gives me hands-on control of the channels I’m constantly massaging: the crowd mics and vocal. The PL-6 is the perfect solution. I use the iPad app on every show, not just fly dates. It lets me stand onstage with the artist and hear what they’re hearing. I was amazed with the lack of latency on the iPad app. When I touch the screen and push the fader, I hear the change in real time—a great tool.